Ten songs from the Phratry catalog in honor of the Cincinnati label’s two-night anniversary celebration this weekend

Though the traditional 10th anniversary gift is tin or aluminum (WTF?), a more fitting present for the Cincinnati label Phratry Records to congratulate it on its 10th year of service is your attendance at this weekend’s two-night Phratry showcase at Newport’s Southgate House Revival.
Local musician Jerry Dirr (Knife the Symphony) launched the label in 2004 with the release of the debut album by Cincinnati’s Caterpillar Tracks. Since then, the label has put out around 50 releases, which are distributed nationally by Stickfigure Distribution & Mailorder.Friday and Saturday’s anniversary showcase will feature a mix of Phratry signees (both local and out-of-towners), reunions and special guests. Here’s the lineup info from my Spill It column in this week’s CityBeat:Friday night, the Phratry showcase will present non-Cincinnati signings Ultrasphinx (Akron, Ohio), Tyranny is Tyranny (Madison, Wisc.) and The Shanks (Toronto), plus currently active local Phratry bands Mad Anthony and Gazer. Friday will also see the return of Covington and thistle, whose own Tiberius Records teamed up with Dirr just as Phratry was getting started to release the compilation album Organelle. It will be thistle’s first show in three years. Friday’s lineup is rounded out by Indie Folk artist A.M. Nice, Reggae/Rock crew New Third Worlds, a reunion of former local Punk favorites Saturday Supercade and Jonathan Lohr & the Angel Shale, an AltCountry project that features former members of Caterpillar Tracks (whose debut album was Phratry’s first release).Dirr’s own band Knife the Symphony plays the Phratry showcase Saturday, joined by one of the label’s most recent local signees Smoke Signals …, the hard-touring Ampline, progressive Post Punk/Metal band Mala in Se, State Song (which released the spectacular full-length Sleepcrawling earlier this year on the label) and blistering Punk group Swear Jar. Also performing Saturday are Pittsburgh-based Ed fROMOHIO, the former singer/guitarist of Mike Watt’s post-Minutemen band fIREHOSE whose more recent band Food records for Phratry, experimental unit Aperiodic and Heevahava, a former Greater Cincinnati band now based in Roanoke, Va. Saturday also features a pair of reunion shows local Punk fans should be pretty psyched about; both East Arcadia (which included/includes members of Phratry band Arms Exploding) and The Scrubs will reactivate their wonder-twin powers for the event.
In honor of Phratry’s 10th birthday, I’ve selected 10 of my favorite tracks from the label’s output so far. I hesitate to call these Phratry’s “greatest hits,” because everything the label puts out is excellent, but these tracks should give you a good idea of what the imprint is all about. You can peruse the entire catalog of available Phratry releases here.
Caterpillar Tracks - “Slippery Slope” from Scrape the Summer (2007)
Scrape The Summer by Caterpillar Tracks
thistle - “Ribbons” from The Small Hours (2008)
The Small Hours by thistle
Humans Bow Down - “The White Sun” from A Mirror (2004)
Mad Anthony - “Sank for Days” from Sank for Days (2014)
Tyranny is Tyranny - “Manufacturing Truth” from Let It Come From Whom It May (2013)
Let It Come From Whom It May by Tyranny Is Tyranny
State Song - “Skeleton Key” from Dear Hearts & Gentle People (2010)
Dear Hearts & Gentle People by State Song
Ampline - “Our Carbon Dreams” from You Will Be Buried Here (2010)
You Will Be Buried Here by AMPLINE
Knife the Symphony - “Rusted Satellites” from Dead Tongues (2009)
Dead Tongues by Knife The Symphony
Arms Exploding - “Race Card Driver” from Ruminari (2008)
Ruminari by Arms Exploding
Gazer - “A Nurse for a Human” from Fake Bulbs (2014)
Fake Bulbs by GAZER

Plus, Freak releases debut EP, Withrow's marching band gets some star-studded help and Grand Oversoul reunites for a great cause

The nearly decade old Cincinnati-based record label Phratry Records releases a new four-way split single featuring locals Mala in Se and Knife the Symphony, as well as Aperiodic and Joe 4. Plus, area Metal crew Freak celebrate its new EP, Blue Wisp hosts a fundraiser for an area high school marching band and Grand Oversoul returns for Transitions Global benefit.

Local instrumental rockers The Flux Capacitors host a bittersweet EP release party Friday at the Southgate House. The show (with guests Enlou, Weakness and The Sleeping Sea) is to be the band's last, following the relocation of bassist Sean Victory to Chicago. They'll be distributing copies of the new six-track 'Human Error' EP and their grand 2007 debut album, 'John Q. Brains For Arms.'

Covington is gaining another new original music club this week, further upgrading its status as one of the premier destinations for music lovers in Greater Cincinnati. Radiodown was Frank Hulefeld's first stab at a live music venue several years back when it opened above Tickets Sports Cafe, and Hulefeld went on to develop The Mad Hatter. The new Radiodown opens behind the Hatter this weekend.